hey were all five chatting together, Mrs. Van Decken's
portrait prominent in the conversation.

Mallory had altered in some indefinable way. In the fugitive glances
she stole at him Nan could see that he was thinner, his face a trifle
worn-looking, and the old whimsical light had died out of his eyes,
replaced by a rather bitter sadness.

"You'd better come and dine with us to-night, Mallory," said Fenton,
pausing as they were about to leave. "Penelope and I are due at the
Albert Hall later on, but we shall be home fairly early and you can
entertain Nan in our absence. It's purely a ballad concert, so she
doesn't care to go with us--it's not high-brow enough!"--with a twinkle
in Nan's direction.

She glanced at Peter swiftly. Would he refuse?

There was the slightest pause. Then--

"Thank you very much," he said quietly. "I shall be delighted."

"We dine at an unearthly hour to-night, of course," volunteered
Penelope. "Half-past six."

"As I contrived to miss my lunch to-day, I shan't grumble," replied
Peter, smiling. "Till to-night, then."

And the Fentons' motor slid away into the lamplit dusk.

"Wasn't that rather rash of you, Ralph?" asked Penelope later on, when
they were both dressing for the evening. "I think--last summer--Peter
was getting too fond of Nan for his own peace of mind."

Ralph came to the door of his dressing-room in his shirt-sleeves,
shaving-brush in hand.

"Good Lord, no!" he said. "Mallory's married and Nan's engaged--what
more do you want? They were just good pals. And anyway, even if
you're right, the affair must he dead embers by this time."

"It may be. Still, there's nothing gained by blowing on them," replied
Penelope sagely.

CHAPTER XXVI

"THE WIDTH OF A WORLD BETWEEN"

Nan gave a final touch to Penelope's hair, drawing the gold fillet
which bound it a little lower down on to the broad brow, then stood
back and regarded the effect with critical eyes.

"That'll do," she declared. "You look a duck, Penelope! I hope you'll
get a splendid reception. You will if you smile at the audience as
prettily as you're smiling now! Won't she, Ralph?"

"I hope so," answered Fenton seriously. "It would be a waste of a
perfectly good smile if she doesn't." And amid laughter and good
wishes the Fentons departed for the concert, Peter Mallory accompanying
them downstairs to speed them on their way.

Meanwhile Nan, left alone for the moment, became suddenly con